Winter Weather in Iowa, January 15 to 17, 2017

Name: Winter Weather in Iowa, January 15 to 17, 2017
Start: 2017-01-15T23:00
End: 2017-01-17T00:05
Location: Iowa

January 15 to 17, 2017 · NWS ARX · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Rain spread across northeast Iowa on January 16th. 15 inches.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS ARX wrote it up.

Rain spread across northeast Iowa on January 16th. Some of this fell as freezing rain with ice accumulations of 0.10 to 0.15 inches. This ice accumulated on some trees and power lines. A greater impact developed as temperatures quickly dropped below freezing causing the standing water to rapidly turn into a sheet of ice on roads, parking lots and sidewalks. Numerous accidents occurred on the icy roads with some schools closed for 2 or 3 days.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS La Crosse, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 15, 5:32 PM CST, 5 hours 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 15, 5:32 PM CST, 5 hours 28 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 15, 2:57 PM CST, 8 hours 3 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
257 PM CST SUN JAN 15 2017

IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ086>088-094>096-WIZ041>044-053>055-
061-161200-
MITCHELL-HOWARD-WINNESHIEK-ALLAMAKEE-FLOYD-CHICKASAW-FAYETTE-
CLAYTON-DODGE-OLMSTED-WINONA-MOWER-FILLMORE-HOUSTON-LA CROSSE-
MONROE-JUNEAU-ADAMS-VERNON-CRAWFORD-RICHLAND-GRANT-
257 PM CST SUN JAN 15 2017

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST
IOWA...SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA... INTO WESTERN WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT LATE TONIGHT ACROSS
NORTHEAST IOWA INTO SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN. A WINTRY MIX WILL START
TO SPREAD INTO THIS AREA LATE TONIGHT WITH MINOR ACCUMULATIONS
POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT MONDAY THROUGH NOON TUESDAY
FOR AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 90. A WINTRY MIX WILL FALL
DURING THIS TIME PERIOD WITH ICE ACCUMULATION LOOKING TO BE THE
MAIN THREAT. AMOUNTS FROM A GLAZE UP TO TWO TENTHS OF AN INCH ARE
EXPECTED. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE
ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA. ALL THIS PRECIPITATION
WILL IMPACT TRAVEL BOTH MONDAY AND TUESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

PRECIPITATION AND ICING REPORTS WILL BE APPRECIATED.

.EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION...

NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED.

MNZ079-WIZ032>034-161200-
WABASHA-BUFFALO-TREMPEALEAU-JACKSON-
257 PM CST SUN JAN 15 2017

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MONDAY THROUGH
NOON TUESDAY. A WINTRY MIX WILL SPREAD INTO THE AREA MONDAY
AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY WITH ICE ACCUMULATIONS LOOKING
TO BE THE MAIN THREAT. AMOUNTS FROM A GLAZE UP TO A TENTH OF INCH
ARE EXPECTED. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AROUND AN INCH WILL ALSO BE
POSSIBLE. ALL THIS PRECIPITATION WILL IMPACT TRAVEL BOTH MONDAY
AND TUESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

PRECIPITATION AND ICING REPORTS WILL BE APPRECIATED.

.EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION...

NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED.

WIZ017-029-161200-
TAYLOR-CLARK-
257 PM CST SUN JAN 15 2017

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

A WINTRY MIX WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING AND THEN CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY WITH ICE ACCUMULATIONS
LOOKING TO BE THE MAIN HAZARD. AMOUNTS FROM A GLAZE UP TO A TENTH
OF AN INCH ARE EXPECTED. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AROUND AN INCH WILL
ALSO BE POSSIBLE. ALL THIS PRECIPITATION WILL IMPACT TRAVEL BOTH
MONDAY AND TUESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

PRECIPITATION AND ICING REPORTS WILL BE APPRECIATED.

.EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION...

NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED.

04

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Chickasaw

When: January 15, 11:00 PM CST to January 16, 5:25 PM CST
Where: Chickasaw forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.060, -92.318 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Freezing rain and rain fell across Chickasaw County on the 16th. Ice accumulations from the freezing rain were up to 0.1 inches. A greater impact occurred when temperatures quickly dropped below freezing causing a sheet of ice to develop on roads, parking lots and sidewalks. This led to numerous accidents and school closures.

Winter Weather, Floyd

When: January 15, 11:00 PM CST to January 16, 5:25 PM CST
Where: Floyd forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.060, -92.789 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Freezing rain and rain fell across Floyd County on the 16th. Ice accumulations from the freezing rain were up to 0.1 inches. A greater impact occurred when temperatures quickly dropped below freezing causing a sheet of ice to develop on roads, parking lots and sidewalks. This led to numerous accidents and school closures.

Winter Weather, Fayette

When: January 15, 11:30 PM CST to January 16, 5:35 PM CST
Where: Fayette forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 42.863, -91.844 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Freezing rain and rain fell across Fayette County on the 16th. Ice accumulations from the freezing rain were up to 0.15 inches. A greater impact occurred when temperatures quickly dropped below freezing causing a sheet of ice to develop on roads, parking lots and sidewalks. This led to numerous accidents and school closures.

Winter Weather, Clayton

When: January 15, 11:55 PM CST to January 16, 5:45 PM CST
Where: Clayton forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 42.845, -91.341 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Freezing rain and rain fell across Clayton County on the 16th. Ice accumulations from the freezing rain were up to 0.15 inches. A greater impact occurred when temperatures quickly dropped below freezing causing a sheet of ice to develop on roads, parking lots and sidewalks. This led to numerous accidents and school closures.

Winter Weather, Mitchell

When: January 16, 12:20 AM CST to January 17, 12:05 AM CST
Where: Mitchell forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.356, -92.789 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Freezing rain and rain fell across Mitchell County on the 16th. Ice accumulations from the freezing rain were up to 0.1 inches. A greater impact occurred when temperatures quickly dropped below freezing causing a sheet of ice to develop on roads, parking lots and sidewalks. This led to numerous accidents and school closures.

Winter Weather, Howard

When: January 16, 12:50 AM CST to 10:45 PM CST
Where: Howard forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.357, -92.317 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Freezing rain and rain fell across Howard County on the 16th. Ice accumulations from the freezing rain were up to 0.1 inches. A greater impact occurred when temperatures quickly dropped below freezing causing a sheet of ice to develop on roads, parking lots and sidewalks. This led to numerous accidents and school closures.

Winter Weather, Winneshiek

When: January 16, 12:50 AM CST to 9:30 PM CST
Where: Winneshiek forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.291, -91.844 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Freezing rain and rain fell across Winneshiek County on the 16th. Ice accumulations from the freezing rain were up to 0.1 inches. A greater impact occurred when temperatures quickly dropped below freezing causing a sheet of ice to develop on roads, parking lots and sidewalks. This led to numerous accidents and school closures.

Winter Weather, Allamakee

When: January 16, 1:55 AM CST to 8:55 PM CST
Where: Allamakee forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.284, -91.378 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Freezing rain and rain fell across Allamakee County on the 16th. Ice accumulations from the freezing rain were up to 0.15 inches. A greater impact occurred when temperatures quickly dropped below freezing causing a sheet of ice to develop on roads, parking lots and sidewalks. This led to numerous accidents and school closures.

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Iowa in 2017 Every state in 2017 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, January 2017

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 676223, 676226, 676225, 676224, 676229, 676228, 676230, 676222.